Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) announced Friday that she won't seek reelection next year. Why it matters: Reynolds, Iowa 's first woman governor, pushed conservative policies on education, health care and taxes since assuming the office in 2017. Reynolds previously served as lieutenant governor and a state senator.

The move by Ms. Reynolds, a Republican, will shake up the leadership of a state that has transformed from a political battleground into safely red territory.

Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) is not running for reelection in 2026, opening a door for several members of Congress to seek to fill the vacant governorship. In a video to X, Reynolds said she has decided she will not seek another term as governor,

Governor Kim Reynolds will not seek reelection. She made the announcement late this morning in a social media post. “After a lot of thought, prayer and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek reelection in 2026,

"After a lot of thought, prayer, and conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not seek re-election in 2026," the governor said in a statement.

Gov. Kim Reynolds, joined by Iowa families who had lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes, law enforcement officers and others, celebrate after the governor signed a ban on handheld cellphone use while driving into law Wednesday.